In a remote corner of the forest, there lived a tribe of people who commanded insects.They were the Aburame clan.
Their settlement lay within Konoha's protective barrier, where their safety was always assured.Although the location was far from the bustling heart of the village, this quiet, shaded woodland suited the Aburame perfectly.
Within the clan's territory, a child sat beneath the shadow of a wide old tree, lost in thought.
His name was Aburame Shiki.
His parents had died on a mission years ago. Now, he lived as an orphan, raised collectively by the clan.
A unique Aburame ceremony would be held tomorrow. On that day, he would sign a contract with parasitic insects, feeding them his chakra, allowing them to live inside his body, and controlling them in battle.
At the moment, he was contemplating what he should do after bonding with the parasitic insects—because the development ceiling of an ordinary Aburame was far too obvious.
Even Aburame Shino, one of the strongest in the original timeline, had never reached Kage level.
The Aburame clan excelled in the early stages of a shinobi's life. Their insects allowed them to contest enemies who were still inexperienced and lacked powerful ninjutsu.
But later on, their performance against high-level techniques became disappointing.In the end, the insects that empowered them early in life eventually became the chain that restricted them.
After all, an Aburame's power was bound to his insects. Every secret technique depended on them, and insects—being living creatures—had biological limits.No matter how skilled a shinobi was, insects themselves could not surpass the natural limits of life. That became a natural wall preventing the clan from breaking into Kage-class strength.
"It's difficult… but there are shortcuts to rapid growth."
Aburame Shiki was a transmigrator. Originally, he had been designing a game with his friends. Wanting to have a little extra fun later, he secretly installed his own cheat ability—the Original Gu.
The Original Gu's power was assimilation and counter-assimilation—an extremely potent ability.
He had been preparing to dominate the beta test… until he discovered that his friends had also secretly added cheat codes.Each one was more outrageous than the last.
A chaotic "battle of gods" broke out. His blood pressure skyrocketed from excitement—and in that moment, he suddenly found himself transported into the Naruto world, reborn as a member of the Aburame clan.
At first, Aburame Shiki was panicked. The Naruto world was terrifyingly dangerous, and one careless mistake could end his life.
After all, in this world, children became genin at seven or eight and were expected to kill. Many went to war at age eleven or twelve.Kakashi, Uchiha Itachi, and Uchiha Shisui were already elite killers at twelve.
And now, the Third Great Ninja War was drawing near. If he remembered correctly, it began sometime around Konoha Year 47, triggered by the Kazekage's mysterious disappearance in Konoha.
The idea that he could be on a battlefield in just a few years was overwhelming.
But fortunately, the Original Gu had transmigrated with him.It resided in his soul as a glowing point of light.
This wasn't the Gu's true body. In Shiki's original design, the Original Gu had no physical form—it was the concentrated essence of nature itself. The light was merely its projection.
At present, Shiki and the Original Gu were one and the same. Or rather, the Gu was Shiki, and Shiki was the Gu.
Unfortunately, Shiki could not yet wield the full power of the Original Gu. He couldn't adapt to the sheer weight of its existence. His consciousness was like a child trying to pull a warhorse—it simply wasn't possible.
If he could use the Original Gu freely, he would instantly shake the entire ninja world.
For now, Shiki didn't possess the strength needed to let the Gu grow, but he could borrow limited power through their hidden connection.
To survive the coming war, Aburame Shiki needed to grow stronger—fast.
He reviewed everything he remembered about the Aburame clan's abilities.
"There are parasitic insects, nano-scale venomous insects, phosphorous-eating bugs, forbidden insect techniques, and the Jar of Poison Arts… those are the Aburame's signature jutsu."
Their shinobi were exceptionally capable, but they were few in number and rarely appeared on screen.
Shiki calculated that aside from parasitic insects, the fastest way to grow stronger was to obtain the nano-level venomous phosphorous bugs.
Phosphorous bugs were microscopic, toxic insects. The moment they touched human skin, they burrowed inside and devoured cells bit by bit.
If he could cultivate them, he would become a terrifying threat to any enemy below Kage level, giving him the power to survive the Third Great Ninja War.
He was certain the Original Gu would assimilate the phosphorous bugs, drastically enhancing their potential.
Most importantly—the phosphorous bugs had severe restrictions.
Normally, they could not coexist with other insects.They were extremely aggressive and difficult to control. Whenever they encountered other insects, they would attack and kill them.
Even if an Aburame managed to cultivate phosphorous bugs, those insects would slaughter the other insects in their host body. Coexistence was impossible.
But Aburame Shiki had nothing to worry about.
Did anyone understand the value of a "battle of gods"?
Even in that chaotic battle, he had been one of the top contenders.
If phosphorous bugs entered his body, they would have no choice but to obey.
Even now, although the Original Gu could not assimilate powerful creatures, it could directly assimilate something as small as an insect once it entered Shiki's body.
And a single insect was far from a "powerful lifeform."
At that point, Shiki would have complete control over the phosphorous bugs—and could even let them coexist safely with parasitic insects.
This meant far fewer limitations, far more flexible combat, and effectively granting parasitic insects an instant-death effect.
The idea of an Aburame who could control insects capable of instant killing was terrifying.
Against an enemy of equal strength, you could dodge the Aburame's large-scale insect techniques, but you couldn't avoid every single bug—not perfectly.
Normally, letting one or two bugs slip through was harmless.
But parasitic insects combined with phosphorous bugs?That was a nightmare. The parasitic insects were fast and maneuverable, and the phosphorous bugs were tiny, lethal, and unavoidable.
His enemies' margin for error would drop to near zero.And if they underestimated the danger, mistaking a deadly bug for an ordinary one…
They would learn the true meaning of cruelty.
Shiki felt this combination was almost perfect—but raising phosphorous bugs was troublesome.
Phosphorous bugs were forbidden insects of the Aburame clan. They could not be raised casually.Only the most exceptional insect users in the clan were given the opportunity to cultivate them.
"I have to perform well in tomorrow's ceremony. That's the only way I can earn the right to raise phosphorous bugs," Shiki thought.
He had to seize this chance. If he could obtain phosphorous bugs, the benefits would be enormous.
It would not only elevate his personal strength—it would shift the clan's internal resources toward supporting him.
A new possibility, a new path for the Aburame—one filled with potential.Even if the experiment failed, the clan would still gain a shinobi capable of combining parasitic insects with phosphorous insects.
That alone made investing in him worthwhile.
The plan forming in Aburame Shiki's mind became clearer and clearer.
Step one:Show overwhelming potential at tomorrow's ceremony…and earn the clan's full support.